Experiencing a house fire can be terrifying and devastating. The safety of your family will always be your top priority in that situation. Once everyone is safe and the flames are extinguished, however, the terror can continue for your home.
Smoke damage can continue to create long-lasting problems and damage to your home, belongings, and health.
Health Hazards of Smoke Damage
A fire isn’t the only thing that can jeopardize your family’s safety. If smoke damage is left unresolved it can create serious health complications. Smoke can carry microscopic particles into your lungs, causing lung damage. Older adults and children (including teenagers) are especially vulnerable. People inhaling smoke may experience coughing, runny nose, wheezing, chest pain, headaches, asthma attacks, or skin irritation.
Types of Smoke
There are three different types of smoke you need to watch out for:
- Wet Smoke
- Dry Smoke
- Oil Smoke
Each type of smoke is difficult to tackle in its own way, but all three can cause long-term damage to your property and your health if not dealt with properly. You may be ambitious and want to help in repairing and/or restoring your home and replacing belongings that are affected by smoke damage. Knowing what’s salvageable and what isn’t is difficult enough. But actually, doing the work of smoke damage restoration in Springfield, Ohio is even harder.
Wet Smoke
Wet smoke is generally caused by low-heat, smoldering fires. Because of the low heat, a lot of material is left unburned. Unfortunately, just because it is unburned doesn’t mean it is unaffected by the fire. Unburned usually means its material has filled the air with thick, black, sooty smoke. It smells extremely harsh, and it sticks to surfaces. Wet smoke can leave a sticky, smeary residue behind that’s very difficult to clean.
Dry Smoke
Dry smoke comes from hot, fast-burning fires. The source of the fire is generally natural, such as wood, paper, and cotton fabric. The powdery residue it leaves behind is easier to clean up than the sticky residue of wet or oily smoke, but it can still be very acidic.
Oily Smoke
Oily smoke isn’t as common in homes as in the other types. It’s caused by fires that are started by a fuel source.
Protein smoke is a type of oily smoke that comes from organic matter that catches fire. It’s usually related to cooking fires. When protein-rich foods catch fire, animal fat from the food breaks down into a very fine mist. This mist is hard to see and even harder to clean.
Protein smoke is very common. Cooking is actually the leading cause of home structure fires, so this frustrating, difficult smoke is also a frequent occurrence in homes. It will require a specialized cleaner to break up the residue on hard surfaces, and deep cleaning in order to remove the smoke and smell from porous surfaces.
Smoke Damage Restoration in Springfield, Ohio
While these different types of smoke may affect your home in different ways, they are all hazardous and harmful to your health and home. The only way to keep your loved ones safe after a fire is to properly address and store smoke damage.
If you have lingering smoke damage in your home, contact Reliant Restoration and our team of professionals will help you through the restoration process.